Neck Pain
 Cervical spine injuries can occur
during motor vehicle accidents, in rough contact sports, after a fall,
or by hitting your head against a hard surface, such as when diving
into a pool that is too shallow. These accidents can cause injuries
that range from mild cases of neck pain, called whiplash, to injuries
that can cause paralysis of the rest of the body below the level of
injury.
Whiplash is the common term used for a hyperextension injury to
the neck. Though the neck is a very flexible structure, it can be
injured when the weight of the head exceeds the neck's ability to
control its motion. The injury usually happens when the head is
suddenly jerked back and forth beyond its normal limits during a
car accident, rough contact sports, or a fall. This jerking motion
can cause over-stretching and tearing of the neck muscles and ligaments
and can cause the discs between the neck vertebrae to bulge, tear
or rupture.
The discs that act as shock absorbers between the vertebral bodies
of the cervical spine can be damaged during an accident. When this
happens, the material in the center of the disk can be pushed out
from where it normally is, a process called disk herniation. A herniated
disk can put pressure on the spinal cord or nerves to the arms and
legs. In situations when a disk ruptures very quickly, as in the
case of an accident, then the nerve does not have any time to adjust
to the increased pressure and it may stop working.
Fractures and dislocations of the cervical spine demand early and
accurate diagnosis so that treatment can quickly be introduced in
order to produce a painless, stable neck and prevent pressure on
the spinal cord and/or nerves. When the neck is injured in very
violent accidents, the bones in the neck can be broken or pulled
forcefully out of normal alignment. Fractures and dislocations of
the cervical spine are very serious injuries because there is the
potential for damage to the spinal cord if the patient is not taken
care of very carefully.
Each year in the United Sates, there will be approximately 50,000
new spinal cord injuries caused by accidents. A spinal cord injury
occurs when the cord itself is crushed, stretched, or torn by the
accident. Unfortunately, this is still an injury that can not be
reversed or cured by modern medicine. More than half of these injuries
involves the cervical spine, and most of them happen to young men.
These injuries are incredibly devastating to the patient, their
families, and also to their communities. There is currently a lot
of research being done on ways to minimize spine injuries by designing
cars for better safety, improving protective gear like football
helmets, and educating people about the dangers of certain activities.
There is also a lot of research being done on how to care for someone
immediately after they have had a spinal cord injury, and also what
kind of rehabilitation is best for them.
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